In March 2016 I read about the event 'Van Grunnen noar Mestreech' (see above). In two days skating 348 km from Groningen to Maastricht that is madness, I thought! What a distance !!!
The inline skating season just had begun: in April 2016 I made my first tour of 50km in Loevestein, followed in May by a tour in Krabbendijke of 75km and in July the Westfriese Omringdijk tour of 126km. It went well and I became addicted to long distance tours.
The inline skating season just had begun: in April 2016 I made my first tour of 50km in Loevestein, followed in May by a tour in Krabbendijke of 75km and in July the Westfriese Omringdijk tour of 126km. It went well and I became addicted to long distance tours.
Signing up and training
I was sorry I did not sign up for the tour from Groningrn to Maastricht. Carien also liked to take up the challenge, and so together we registered for the tour.
I was sorry I did not sign up for the tour from Groningrn to Maastricht. Carien also liked to take up the challenge, and so together we registered for the tour.
After that, many trips, nights on inline skates at the OMNIs followed and during the winter we made many kilometers on the ice in Flevonice and the Weissensee.
After the winter we picked up the inline skating again and made a lot more kilometers. |
There we go
In the afternoon of June 15, 2017 the moment had come, I jumped on the train to Groningen. At different stations other participants also entered. Lots of fun. At the Groningen station we met many more participants. The organization of the tour has arranged further transport. They brought us to the Kardinge Sports Center where we stayed overnight.
Friday morning, June 16 at 5 pm, we all started this "madness". On the way we were supported by unknown supporters like the ladies with the orange hats, but also relatives, friends and acquaintances stood along the side of the road to encourage us. Via WhatsApp and Facebook we were encouraged as well.
In the afternoon of June 15, 2017 the moment had come, I jumped on the train to Groningen. At different stations other participants also entered. Lots of fun. At the Groningen station we met many more participants. The organization of the tour has arranged further transport. They brought us to the Kardinge Sports Center where we stayed overnight.
Friday morning, June 16 at 5 pm, we all started this "madness". On the way we were supported by unknown supporters like the ladies with the orange hats, but also relatives, friends and acquaintances stood along the side of the road to encourage us. Via WhatsApp and Facebook we were encouraged as well.
The first day we had to skate 218 km from Groningen to Angeren, near Arnhem. Partly the route was on very smooth asphalt but sometimes the road was also very bad. The tour organizers who accompanied us with a soundtrack car warned that we had to slow down to prevent accidents because of the bad road. The video below shows this. It also shows how many people started this "madness".
Upon arriving in Angeren we were welcomed by even more people. Great, so much support from everyone, heart-warming. We stayed for the night in a former chicken barn on a camping in Angeren.
The second day
After a very short night of just a few hours, we left on the second day at 6 o'clock in the morning. This second part of the trip was "only" 192 km long. We were singing, laughing, crying, speeding on the smooth asphalt and peg away at the big stones, the slit and a few kilometers dirt road.
Unfortunately, not all of us made it till the end and I know, like no other, what a shit it is to stop. Stopping is worse than continuing!
It was "madness", at least 410 km, but I've accomplished it and I am proud to have achieved it!
After a very short night of just a few hours, we left on the second day at 6 o'clock in the morning. This second part of the trip was "only" 192 km long. We were singing, laughing, crying, speeding on the smooth asphalt and peg away at the big stones, the slit and a few kilometers dirt road.
Unfortunately, not all of us made it till the end and I know, like no other, what a shit it is to stop. Stopping is worse than continuing!
It was "madness", at least 410 km, but I've accomplished it and I am proud to have achieved it!
Comment of Willem Saris
In the Netherland inline skating tours are regularly organized. Weekly there are tours possible in different parts of the country. They vary from 10 km to 360 km. For more information I refer to the facebook group "Skeelertoerrijders".
The idea behind these tours is not to compete to be the first but just to show for yourself that you are able to skate the number of kilometers you have chosen to do.
The tour from Groningen to Maastricht is probably one of the hardest I have seen in The Netherlands. As a former "Elfstedentocht" skater I can´t imagine that I would have to skate a second day again an "elfstdentocht".
If you want to see a very nice lengthy video report of this tour From Groningen to Maartricht click here.
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